Re: Another hint to scrap Metcard?

["John Kerley" <deaftech@ozemail.com.au>]

Richard <richard_snook@primus.com.au> wrote in message
38DDCC44.C4EFCD4@primus.com.au">news:38DDCC44.C4EFCD4@primus.com.au...
> Australia is a very fortunate country...not perfect...but very
lucky...part of
> it is little things liek the dole...medicare etc...we take them for
> granted...and nearly evvery other western evolved country envies us for
> it...not perfect ..can be improved...what cant..
>
>
You must be joking!

Australia, along with the Yanks, has the most miserly social welfare system
in the western world, particularly when you consider the means test and the
associated "claw back" of benefits which is a real disincentive for people
to get off the dole.

Correspondingly, Australia is also one of the lowest taxed countries in the
western world which is one reason why so little is put into programmes which
benefit the community as a whole - including railways!

Compare the percentage of GDP that Australia spends on social programmes to
that of European countries and you will realise what a third rate country
Australia has become.

We were "The Lucky Country" in the 1960's, but not today!

Cheers,

John Kerley